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Flak Traktor
"Flak them down!" :- Flak Traktor when shooting down enemies Tactical Analysis *'Flak them all': The Flak Traktor is the Soviet's answer to the pesky transforming mecha of the Empire. Unlike many other units, the Flak Traktor is unfazed by air units, capable of filling the skies with fragments from air burst shells. *'Flakking Flanker': Armed with a Soviet made 100mm Flak Cannon, the Flak Traktor is effective against light vehicles as well. The Flak Traktor is also capable of outmanoeuvring unfriendly vehicles. *'Retreat to Flak again': If caught in a tight spot, the Flak Traktor can rev up to full throttle for several seconds and quickly retreat out of the range of enemy weapons. In a more offensive role, it can speed behind enemy units to attack their more vulnerable rear. However, this tends to overwork the engine, so it can only be used in short bursts. *'Flak You!': Experienced Flak Traktors know the best spots to aim at in order to slow down a vehicle. This is even more effective when combined with electrostatic flak rounds. Operational History To the Soviet tank commander stationed near the front lines of the Second World War, the 88mm cannon and its larger siblings, the 105mm and the 128mm (or even the occasional 150 or 170mm) in either field towed or Mastiff Medium Tank mounted versions, were the most feared Allied development in existence, after the Longbow helicopter of course. Initially told that no conventional anti-tank weapon could penetrate the thick frontal armour of the T-55, the Soviets were in for a surprise when tungsten-cored 105mm and 128mm anti-tank rounds did just that against weak points or in the 128mm's case; when just loaded with APDS rounds, with the 88mm being a threat to weak points on the flanks and rear of the Anvil. Though efforts were made to produce a Soviet equivalent, it became moot when a weapon was successfully captured in working order and reproduced wholesale. Though production lines were not set up in time to capitalize on the development, after the war Cherdenko ordered that a machine be built to employ the weapons. However, the tungsten-cored anti-tank shells that the Kaiserreich's infamous anti-tank guns used to achieve its penetrative effects were never duplicated; instead, lead shells were fashioned that, at the high velocities used by the weapon, would flatten and shatter rather than penetrate armour. Disappointed by the results, the weapon was initially discarded. During the Third World War, however, the Empire of the Rising Sun exposed a gap in Soviet military doctrine when their light vehicles outmaneuvered the superior Hammer Tanks and scored dozens of kills with flanking shots. Realising the need for a light tank, a reduced velocity 105mm cannon that would strike a balance between the 88mm's higher rate of fire and greater shell capacity but reduced striking power and range and the 128mm's opposite virtues, with a high-speed autoloader, was strapped to a supercharged agricultural tractor. Propelled by the massive wheels, it proved to be much more manoeuvrable than the average Soviet tank, giving it ample ability to intercept enemy light armour. The design was heavily refined and dubbed the Traktor. Initially unsure of how to employ the new weapon, the Traktor was deployed in detachments to tank divisions patrolling the disputed land in eastern Russia that the Empire had captured. It was here that one such unit, running as scouts for the 37th Tank Division, was ambushed by a group of Striker VXes firing in ground configuration from ambush positions. When the Traktors returned fire, the Strikers took to the air ... and the Traktor's guns effortlessly followed them, wiping the squadron out. The secret was the flexible mounts the guns were mounted on, that allowed the 105mm a full range of motion simply by removing an inhibiting cog intended to keep the gun from accidentally traversing away from their intended elevation limit. As the inhibitor slowed the up-down traverse of the guns, disgruntled troopers ripped them from their positions early in deployment, and unwittingly turned their vehicles into potent anti-aircraft weapons. Issued airburst shells and new targeting sights, the Traktor became the Flak Traktor, the flexible multipurpose vehicle that makes up the vast majority of the support units within Soviet tank divisions. Behind the Scenes * The Flak Traktor name is a shoutout to the Flak Track from Red Alert 2. Just the Stats Category:Units Category:Units Originating from Ukraine